Remember that little airline that began shuttling passengers to IND from SBN and then started the same thing from EVV. Apparently the SBN to IND hasn't been popular enough to make these flights work financially in the minds of the execs at South Bend. It may be doing somewhat better at EVV and the airline likes providing the service there. I was hoping this shuttle thing would work well for Cape Air as it did for Chicago Express. Time will tell if the service can continue at EVV. It also appears that Cape Air is looking for more cities for this sort of service.

It's a shame that the SBN-IND flight is being dropped. Also, why did SBN stop the subsidies? Did they think that the route could be supported without them, or did they just lose interest in the flight?

Quoting KarlB737 (Thread starter):It also appears that Cape Air is looking for more cities for this sort of service

Quoting Lexy (Reply 2): have to admit, I am shocked the flights out of EVV are doing so well. Kudos to the fine folks in Evansville for supporting the flights!!!!

Remember, there really isn't an easy way to get from EVV to IND, because the roads between the two cities are so bad.

At least, after 40 years of NIMBY related delays, the've finally broken ground on I-69 between the two cities, although it will be at least ten more years before I-69 is open all the way to IND.

Quoting Cubsrule (Reply 3):I wonder if GYY might work. It's a somewhat easier drive from Gary to Indy than from South Bend

I think the only reason SBN-IND was tried is because the drive is so difficult. Once again, the drive will get better in a few years when US 31 is upgraded to become Interstate 67, and US 31's fifteen traffic lights in and near Kokomo are bypassed. I can't see very many people flying from GYY to IND, because the drive is a straight shot down I-65.

F9 handles all Cape Air in IND and I was talking to them they said the that 2 new cities that might be possibilities were as mentioned before FWA and here is a surprise, OWB. I do not see OWB opening up, given its close proximity to EVV. Anyone with any knowledge please post. Or if you may have heard of other cities.

Quoting Lexy (Reply 5):This is true. I am glad to see I-69 plans moving forward though. That has been decades in the making and to see it finally gaining some steam is good for Evansville and the Tri State area in general.

I cannot wait for that, it will make my drive to the EVV area much easier now. I hate US41 with a passion!

Quoting Ward86IND (Reply 11):Cape Air stops flying August 31st. Announced today at the airport director's meeting. Unfortunate...but their government grant expired this month so this doesn't come as a surprise.

That is a real shame. Guess we'll have to see if anyone else picks these routes up, but I highly doubt it.

Quoting MtnWest1979 (Reply 15):Well maybe they can move a plane out west to PDX,AST,ONP (Portland, Astoria, and Newport,OR) and finally start that service.

You do wonder (perhaps one shouldn't in this current climate, however) if there aren't certain states and cities that would benefit more from having this kind of service, particularly out west. State capitals, for instance, generate a fair amount of traffic just because they are the seat of government. There was a thread on here a couple of weeks ago about politicians wanting to restore nonstop service from cities in California such as Santa Barbara to Sacramento in order to fly up and back in the same day.

Quoting AVLAirlineFreq (Reply 17):You do wonder (perhaps one shouldn't in this current climate, however) if there aren't certain states and cities that would benefit more from having this kind of service, particularly out west. State capitals, for instance, generate a fair amount of traffic just because they are the seat of government. There was a thread on here a couple of weeks ago about politicians wanting to restore nonstop service from cities in California such as Santa Barbara to Sacramento in order to fly up and back in the same day.

I think that there are other areas where Cape Air would do well on in state routes. Maybe somewhere that isnt an easy drive and has more connections between the cities served than the Indiana cities did.

Quoting KarlB737 (Thread starter):Remember that little airline that began shuttling passengers to IND from SBN and then started the same thing from EVV. Apparently the SBN to IND hasn't been popular enough to make these flights work financially in the minds of the execs at South Bend. It may be doing somewhat better at EVV and the airline likes providing the service there. I was hoping this shuttle thing would work well for Cape Air as it did for Chicago Express. Time will tell if the service can continue at EVV. It also appears that Cape Air is looking for more cities for this sort of service.

Well I would not consider Cape Air a little airlines with 50+ a/c and service 'From Guam to Provincetown'. lol. Granted, smaller planes.

As for staes with a potential for this type service, Maybe replace Horizon at Pendleton,OR to Portland,OR. PDT is only <20,000 people, would be a good sized fit IMO. Then perhaps Salem to: MFR,LMT,OTH,RDM service.

Quoting Lexy (Reply 19):EVV, is a great airport and a great city. One of my favorites in the entire Midwest US!

I flew through EVV for the first time in February, on a trip I took just so I could fly Cape Air EVV-IND, and I was really impressed with the airport. I particularly liked the display of airplane models near the rocking chairs - that TWA 727-200 model is great!

It's a shame EVV is so under utilized - when the current terminal opened in the late 1980s, EVV was served by PI 727-200s, and US 737s / BAC 1-11s. Now, most of the service is on RJs, and the terminal lobby seems empty even during peak periods.

I will be posting a trip report in a week or two about my Cape Air flight - watch for it!

Quoting WA707atMSP (Reply 21):It's a shame EVV is so under utilized - when the current terminal opened in the late 1980s, EVV was served by PI 727-200s, and US 737s / BAC 1-11s. Now, most of the service is on RJs, and the terminal lobby seems empty even during peak periods.

Too many airports like EVV and the like have lost a lot of service....Our reliance too heavily on this hub and spoke system is just wrecking the whole industry.
I tried to get an airfare for a client between CVG-DTW and if we would have had a small airline like Wright Airlines still flying locally in that market rather than having to look only to the NW and DL bend-me-over-the-log-and-and-screw-me fares, I might have sold her a ticket.
The only good thing about Regional Jets is that suppsoedly they have jet engines...Whoopdeedoo... Bring back small props and let the flying public suck it up and quit griping....

Its a shame that even Cape Air cant make a go of this without subsidy....One would think that with gas prices as they are, at least some of the frequent passengers on these two routes would continue to use this service... I have said many times before that if this kind of stuff keeps happening with airlines experimenting/starting and stopping service in communites that really need it, this kind of crap ruins it for any new air carrier that has the money to actually come in and sustain itself....Burn the people too much and they wont come back...

Quoting WA707atMSP (Reply 21):I flew through EVV for the first time in February, on a trip I took just so I could fly Cape Air EVV-IND, and I was really impressed with the airport. I particularly liked the display of airplane models near the rocking chairs - that TWA 727-200 model is great!

It is a great airport. If they got bigger airplanes there reguarly, it would be a spotters paradise! Runways are right on top of ya!

Quoting WA707atMSP (Reply 21):It's a shame EVV is so under utilized - when the current terminal opened in the late 1980s, EVV was served by PI 727-200s, and US 737s / BAC 1-11s. Now, most of the service is on RJs, and the terminal lobby seems empty even during peak periods.

Man, those were the days!!!!!
It's still a great terminal especially when you see what they had before. The old Dress Regional Airport Terminal was too old and outdated for current standards.

Quoting WA707atMSP (Reply 21):I will be posting a trip report in a week or two about my Cape Air flight - watch for it!

Quoting MtnWest1979 (Reply 20):As for staes with a potential for this type service, Maybe replace Horizon at Pendleton,OR to Portland,OR. PDT is only <20,000 people, would be a good sized fit IMO. Then perhaps Salem to: MFR,LMT,OTH,RDM service.

Word is that SkyWest may be bidding for the PDX-PDT EAS run. They filed (and were granted) an extension for the bid... was due on 7-21 now is due 8-4.

As for SLE service- anything is possible, but the complete and total failure of DLs SLC flight indicates that SLE people are more than willing to drive up to PDX to fly. SLERDM isn't a bad drive (unless its snowing), LMT would be unable to support it, leaving OTH (which can't support a PDX flight), and MFR. I personally see more potential with Newport or Astoria... maybe even picking up OTH and LMT ex-PDX as QX pulls out.

Quoting WA707atMSP (Reply 4):there really isn't an easy way to get from EVV to IND, because the roads between the two cities are so bad

- The roads are not that bad, it's just mostly two lanes (one each direction) and it is not a straight shot. You have to drive through towns and hit stop lights. If they (government) ever gets it approved, I69 will solve a lot of that problem)

IIRC, EVV had at one time mainline service to STL, ORD and ATL. Now I am sure that it is all RJ service.

I do not think I would classify Salem as a complete and total failure for DL. Over 46K pax in the first year despite airfares that were often twice as much as flying from PDX . The winter months were very brutal (primarily due to excessive fares-more than EUG, RDM, PDX, YKM etc...) LF for the 1st year was in the 70% range even though the average fare is higher (but at least somewhat competitive). THat is a very respectable 1st year LF especially given the very poor Dec, Jan, Feb loads (closer to 50% LF). I have no doubt that SLE can support service and if it were not for the run-up on fuel, DL would probably still be here. I do think UA and QX are better fits for the market though.

Quoting Tiger119 (Reply 26):Quoting WA707atMSP (Reply 4):
there really isn't an easy way to get from EVV to IND, because the roads between the two cities are so bad

- The roads are not that bad, it's just mostly two lanes (one each direction) and it is not a straight shot. You have to drive through towns and hit stop lights. If they (government) ever gets it approved, I69 will solve a lot of that problem)

In my mind, a two lane road is a bad road, especially through hilly terrain, because it can take a while to get past a slow moving truck, and passing can be very dangerous at high speeds.

The Evansville - Bloomington portion of I 69 has been approved, and construction began earlier this month. It will open in stages over the next 9 years. No final decision has been made about the route between Bloomington and Indianapolis - I believe the preferred route is Indiana 37 as far as Martinsville, then Indiana 67 the rest of the way.

Once the freeway is built as far as Bloomington, it will end once and for all any BS about routing I-69 over US-41 as far as Terre Haute, then on I-70 the rest of the way to IND.

Quoting Tiger119 (Reply 26):IIRC, EVV had at one time mainline service to STL, ORD and ATL. Now I am sure that it is all RJ service.

It is all RJ service now, I cannot remember the last mainline aircraft at EVV. Ever since the mid 90s, I was flying American Eagle to ORD, first on ATRs and then with ERJs. My grandmother lived across US41 from EVV and I remember as a small kid, playing outside and hearing the jets roar over her house, this was maybe in the mid to late 80s.